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As the second holiday season of the COVID-era arrives, a little Time, Tequila, & Therapy is something we could all stand to receive. Lucky for us, hit-making country band Old Dominion has made that possible, with their fourth album of the same name.
Created “pandemic style,” the project found the group retreating to Asheville, North Carolina, reuniting for the first time since the crisis and hoping to restart their creative mojo. Judging by the charming album full of quirks that came from the pandemic—described as a snapshot of the band in a strange time—they’ve done just that.
Mixing their signature lyrical mischief with the thoughtful influence of the moment, the set once again pairs their songwriting prowess with honest country-pop musicianship—but it’s also unlike their previous work. For the first time, everything was written and recorded on the spot. New themes seemed to spring from the new surroundings, and fresh elements even include a guest spot from soul icon (and Asheville resident) Gladys Knight. But one thing stayed the same: their traditional last-minute album title. Like a house full of frat brothers, the guys usually have “about 30” joke titles going at any given time, lead singer Matthew Ramsey admits, and it normally comes down to the wire. This is the band that named their first album Meat and Candy, after all. But they had to get real for this one.
“The record label is always going, ‘We need an album title,’ so we actually had to schedule time one morning to sit down,” Ramsey explains with a laugh. “Like, we had to actually pencil in ‘Serious conversation about album title, not joking time.’ But it really is quite a different album for us, and I think it’s going to move us forward in a big way.”
According to Ramsey, the project’s differences made it truly therapeutic for the band. But since then, live-concert therapy has been best. Old Dominion were some of the first country stars back on the road this spring—and they did so with an aggressive schedule, booking both a standard headline tour and a run of minor-league ballparks. It was all to satisfy an itch that goes way back.
“It was really just a matter of trying to get back to our livelihood and trying to make sure we could take care of our crew,” Ramsey says. “Touring has been such a big part of our story. We were doing it long before we had any real success—that was our success, in the beginning. So, it’s just a part of our DNA, and it was really tough to sit idle for that long. We’re used to playing 150 shows a year or more.”
Back on track for 2021, they’ll close out the year at a sprinter’s pace, staying on the road right up until Christmas and using a set list that now includes a bunch of the new album’s songs. But even so, the band is already looking ahead to next year, and a different kind of return to their roots—a spot on the holy grail of country tours, Kenny Chesney’s Here and Now 2022 run. Chesney’s long-awaited stadium return was originally set for 2020, but we all know how that turned out. Then it was moved to 2021, and will now kick off in Tampa on April 23, 2022, with more than 20 of country’s biggest shows of the year on tap. Working with Chesney is an experience that played a big role in the type of live entertainers Old Dominion have become, since the band was taken under Chesney’s wing early on in their story. But back then they were “nobodies.”
“When we first were invited on his tour, we didn’t even have a record deal,” Ramsey says. “The tickets for the show said it started at 5 o’clock but we were on at 4:30, and we were playing to empty football stadiums.”
Now it seems like Chesney’s early bet was right on the money. Old Dominion has won the CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year three times in a row and are nominated again for this year’s November 10 show (7 p.m. CT on ABC). And after appearing on Chesney’s tours a handful of times since, they’ve even become friends of the superstar (earning a real, official time slot). But three years have passed between Chesney’s last stadium shows and now, so Ramsey predicts this tour will be bigger than ever.
“[Chesney] came and surprised us at our first show back from the pandemic, which was in Key West in May,” Ramsey explains. “He came out onstage and sang a song, and we could kind of feel what that energy will be like when he actually comes back. It’s going to be real big. “And it’s always a love fest, just smiles and fun. But I think it’ll be extra for us this time,” he goes on, adding with a laugh, “We’ve been fortunate to poach some of [Chesney’s] fans over the years, so we will get a little taste of the real thing. And we have a good bit of hits now, so we can fill our time slot with fun, big, recognizable songs.”
On the new album, those fun, big, recognizable songs continue to lead Old Dominion’s identity—and keep them sane in a life filled with stadium gigs and CMA Awards. For a group that never expected to be here in the first place, it really is Time, Tequila & Therapy that keeps them grounded. And they intend to soak it up while they can.
“We’re just so grateful to be here, and we know one day those things won’t come,” Ramsey says. “But while they are, it’s really special.”